MAIN - 25 MINUTES - ENERGY SAVINGS: 80%
Delicious butternut and barley risotto with a thick and creamy consistency infused with subtle earthy flavours prepared in a Wonderbag has a prep time of 15 minutes and actual time on the stove of only 5 minutes! Serves: 2-4!
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups Risotto rice
4 cups Cubed butternut
¼ cup Barley (soaked for 1 hour)
1 Large onion
1 Celery stick
1 Large carrot
2 cloves Garlic, crushed or ½ teaspoon bought crushed garlic
3 Sprigs rosemary, taken off stalks and chopped
1 cup/250ml Fresh Cream
1 cup/250ml White wine (can be substituted with water)
3 cups/750ml Water
2 Vegetable or chicken stock pots or 2 good quality stock cubes
50g butter
Olive oil or Sunflower oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Wheels feta, crumbled (about 150g)
DIRECTIONS
Chop the onion, celery and carrot on a medium sized dice and add to the pot with a drizzle of oil. Add the chopped butternut, rosemary and garlic and sauté on medium heat till vegetables are starting to soften, about 10-15 minutes.
Add the risotto rice, drained barley and butter and sauté for a further 5 minutes until the butter is melted and the rice is starting to brown then deglaze the pan with the cup of wine.
Add the cream, water, stock and salt and pepper to taste and bring the risotto to the boil.
Line the Wonderbag with a tea towel Place the pot in the Wonderbag for 40 minutes.
Take out the risotto out of the bag, mix the rice to loosen it and sprinkle with the feta and serve.
NOTES:
You could use Basmati or long grain white rice but Arborio/risotto rice is the best for this dish.
You could substitute milk or coconut cream for the cream.
When serving we like to add 100g of baby spinach to the pot when it comes out of the bag for extra veggie goodness. Stir into the rice and wait a few minutes until it has wilted.